Page No 124:

Question 1:

Snakes
generate both horror and fascination. Do you agree? Why? Why not?

Answer:

Note:This
question is to be answered on the basis of your own understanding,
experience and thoughts. It is strongly recommended that you prepare
the solution on your own. However, one sample solution has been
provided for your reference.

I
agree to the fact that snakes generate both horror and fascination.
Snakes are legless reptiles that glide their way through water and
ground. They are carnivorous and thus, can be very dangerous. They
can prey on objects larger than their heads which makes snakes a
highly risky reptile to encounter. Of course it is because of these
traits that people find it fascinating to keep snakes as their pet.
They are lovely to look at because of their colours and designs on
their bodies. Patterns on different species of snakes symbolise
beauty.

Page No 124:

Question 2:

Read what W.W.E.
Ross feels when he sees a snake and fill in the table given below:

The Snake
Trying

The snake trying

to escape the
pursuing stick,

with sudden
curvings of thin

long body. How
beautiful

and graceful are
his shapes!

He glides through
the water away

from the stroke.
O let him go

over the water

into the reeds to
hide

without hurt.
Small and green

he is harmless
even to children.

Along the sand

he lay until
observed

and chased away,
and now

he vanishes in
the ripples

among the green
slim reeds.

What
is the snake doing?

Words
to describe the snake

Poet’s
plea

Answer:

What
is the snake doing?

Words
to describe the snake

Poet’s
plea

The
snake is trying to glide its way escaping from the stroke of the
pursuing stick. Finally, he vanishes with its swift moves, into
the reeds.

Curvings
of thin long body, beautiful, graceful are his shapes, glides
through, small and green, vanishes in the ripples among the green
slim reeds.

The
poet plea is not to kill the snake because it is beautiful,
graceful and harmless to all.

Page No 127:

Question 4:

Given below is the summary of the poem Snake in short paragraphs. However they are jumbled. Work in pairs and put the summary into a logical sequence.

(a) After drinking water to satisfaction, the snake raised his head dreamily and flickered his forked tongue and licked his lips. The snake looked around like a God and then slowly proceeded to curve round and move away from the water trough.

(b) The poet felt much like the ancient mariner who had killed the albatross for no reason. He wishes that the snake would come back. He thinks of the snake as a king in exile who has to be crowned again. He also regrets having missed his opportunity of knowing and understanding one of the lords of life.

(c) As the snake put his head into the hole to retreat into the earth, the poet was filled with a protest against the idea of the snake withdrawing into his hole. The poet put down his pitcher, picked up a log and hurled it at the snake. The snake twisted violently and with great alacrity vanished into the hole in the wall.

(d) A snake visited the poet's water trough on a hot afternoon to quench his thirst. The poet who had also gone to the trough to fill water in a pitcher waited for the snake since he had come at the trough prior to the poet.

(e) The voices of education inside the poet tell him that it was the fear for the snake that made him refrain from killing him. However, the poet feels that though he was quite afraid of the snake, he did actually feel honored that a snake had come to seek his hospitality from the deep recesses of the earth.

(f) He is guilt-ridden and feels that he has to atone for the meanness of his action of throwing a log at the snake.

(g) The snake rested his throat upon the stone bottom and sipped the water into his slack long body. After drinking water, he raised his head just like cattle do and flashed his forked tongue, thought for a moment and then bent down to drink some more water.

(h) Education and social conventions make the poet think that the golden brown poisonous snake must be killed and that as a brave man he must undertake the task of killing the snake.

(i) The poet instantly felt sorry for his unrefined and contemptible act and cursed the voices of education and civilization that had shaped his thought processes and urged him to kill the snake.

(j) However, the poet instinctively likes the snake, treats him like a guest and feels honoured that it had come to drink at his water trough. The poet questions himself and wonders whether his not daring to kill the snake proved that he was a coward and whether his desire to talk to the snake reflected his perversity.

Answer:

(d) A snake visited the poet's water trough on a hot afternoon to quench his thirst. The poet who had also gone to the trough to fill water in a pitcher waited for the snake since he had come at the trough prior to the poet.

(g) The snake rested his throat upon the stone bottom and sipped the water into his slack long body. After drinking water, he raised his head just like cattle do and flashed his forked tongue, thought for a moment and then bent down to drink some more water.

(h) Education and social conventions make the poet think that the golden brown poisonous snake must be killed and that as a brave man he must undertake the task of killing the snake.

(j) However, the poet instinctively likes the snake, treats him like a guest and feels honoured that it had come to drink at his water trough. The poet questions himself and wonders whether his not daring to kill the snake proved that he was a coward and whether his desire to talk to the snake reflected his perversity.

(e) The voices of education inside the poet tell him that it was the fear for the snake that made him refrain from killing him. However, the poet feels that though he was quite afraid of the snake, he did actually feel honoured that a snake had come to seek his hospitality from the deep recesses of the earth.

(a) After drinking water to satisfaction, the snake raised his head dreamily and flickered his forked tongue and licked his lips. The snake looked around like a God and then slowly proceeded to curve round and move away from the water trough.

(c) As the snake put his head into the hole to retreat into the earth, the poet was filled with a protest against the idea of the snake withdrawing into his hole. The poet put down his pitcher, picked up a log and hurled it at the snake. The snake twisted violently and with great alacrity vanished into the hole in the wall.

(i) The poet instantly felt sorry for his unrefined and contemptible act and cursed the voices of education and civilization that had shaped his thought processes and urged him to kill the snake.

(b) The poet felt much like the ancient mariner who had killed the albatross for no reason. He wishes that the snake would come back. He thinks of the snake as a king in exile who has to be crowned again. He also regrets having missed his opportunity of knowing and understanding one of the lords of life.

(f) He is guilt-ridden and feels that he has to atone for the meanness of his action of throwing a log at the snake.

Page No 128:

Question 5-(6):

'I thought how
paltry, how vulgar, what a mean act' -The
poet is referring to

(a)
the snake going into the dreadful hole

(b)
the accursed modern education

(c)
the act of throwing a log of wood at the snake

(d)
the act of killing the snake

Answer:

(c) the act of
throwing a log of wood at the snake

Page No 128:

Question 5-(5):

'He seemed to me
like a king in exile…' The
poet refers to the snake as such to emphasize that the snake

(a)
is like a king enduring banishment

(b)
Is like a king due to be crowned

(c)
Is a majestic king who came for a while on earth

(d)
is a majestic creature forced to go into exile by man

Answer:

(d) is a majestic
creature forced to go into exile by man

Page No 128:

Question 5-(4):

In the line 'And
as he slowly drew up, snake-easing his shoulders, and entered
farther' the
phrase snake
easing' his
shoulders means

(a)
loosening its shoulders

(b)
slipping in with majestic grace

(c)
moving slowly

(d)
moving fast

Answer:

(b) slipping in with
majestic grace

Page No 128:

Question 5-(3):

'A sort of
horror, a sort of protest overcame me' -
The poet is filled with protest because

(a)
he doesn't want to let the snake remain alive

(b)
he fears the snake

(c)
he doesn't want the snake to recede into darkness

(d)
he wants to kill it so that it doesn't return

Answer:

(c) he doesn't want
the snake to recede into darkness

Page No 128:

Question 5-(2):

'Sicilian July',
'Etna
smoking' and
'burning
bowels of the earth' are
images that convey that

(a)
there are snakes in volcanic areas

(b)
the poet lived in a hot area

(c)
it was a really hot day when the snake came

(d)
Sicilian snakes are dangerous

Answer:

(c) it was a really
hot day when the snake came

Page No 128:

Question 5-(1):

'he lifted his
head from his drinking as cattle do' -
The poet wants to convey that the snake

(a)
is domesticated

(b)
is innocent

(c)
is as harmless as cattle

(d)
drinks water just like cattle

Answer:

(d) drinks water
just like cattle

Page No 130:

Question 6-(m):

'I have something to
expiate'-Explain.

Answer:

It means that the
poet has something to regret for ever. This is that he shouldn’t
have thrown a log to kill the snake.

Page No 130:

Question 6-(l):

You have already read Coleridge's poem The Ancient Mariner in which an albatross is killed by the mariner. Why does the poet make an allusion to the albatross?

Answer:

The poet makes an allusion to the albatross because it was shot by the Ancient mariner, although nobody wanted it to die. However, later on board the ship, everybody agreed on it being a right thing to do. Later, the mariners wanted it back as it brought with it, the wind to steer the ship. Likewise, the poet in Snake wants the snake back to accept his hospitality like an honored guest.

Page No 130:

Question 6-(k):

The poet experiences
feelings of self-derision, guilt and regret after hitting the snake.
Pick out expressions that suggest this. Why does he feel like this?

Answer:

The expressions are
‘A sort of horror, a sort of protest’, ‘I thought
how paltry, how vulgar, what a mean act!’, ‘I despised
myself’, ‘to expiate’, ‘A pettiness’.

The poet feels this
way because he feel regret and realizes that he shouldn’t have
thrown a log to kill the snake.

Page No 130:

Question 6-(j):

What is the
difference between the snake's movement at the beginning of the poem
and later when the poet strikes it with a log of wood? You may use
relevant vocabulary from the poem to highlight the difference.

Answer:

We find the snake
thirsty at the beginning of the poem. It draws its slack body over
the edge of the water-trough leisurely and slowly. But when the poet
strikes a log at it, it ‘convulses and writhes’ like
lightening.

Page No 130:

Question 6-(i):

The poet seems to be
full of admiration and respect for the snake. He almost regards him
like a majestic God. Pick out at least four expressions from the poem
that reflect these emotions.

Answer:

The expressions are:
‘and flickered his two-forked tongue/ from his lips’,
‘and mused a moment’, ‘But must I confess, I liked
him’, ‘How glad I was…’, ‘like a guest
in quiet’, ‘I stared with fascination’, ‘Like
a king in exile.’

Page No 130:

Question 6-(h):

The poet is filled with horror and protest when the snake prepares to retreat and bury itself in the 'horrid black', 'dreadful' hole. In the light of this statement, bring out the irony of his act of throwing a log at the snake.

Answer:

The irony of the situation lies in the fact that the poet likes the snake for its beauty and considered it like a king and a guest, yet he hit the snake with a log. Moreover, though he did not want it to go, his act forces the snake to leave immediately.

Page No 130:

Question 6-(g):

The poet has a dual attitude towards the snake. Why does he experience conflicting emotions on seeing the snake?

Answer:

The poet has a dual attitude towards the snake. It is because he is caught in between by human instinct and rational thought. Human instinct makes him appreciate the snake and love animals. However, the voice of human education or rational thought says that snakes are poisonous and are to be killed.

Page No 130:

Question 6-(f):

How do we know that
the snake's thirst was satiated? Pick out the expressions that convey
this.

Answer:

The snake’s
thirst was satiated as it looked dreamily after drinking the water.
The expressions used to justify the same are: ‘and flickered
his two-forked tongue’, ‘mused a moment’, ‘he
drank enough’, ‘and lifted his head dreamily.’

Page No 130:

Question 6-(e):

Do you think the
snake was conscious of the poet's presence? How do you know?

Answer:

I think the snake
was not conscious of the poet’s presence as if it were, it
couldn’t have behaved majestically and as if it were in a
dream. It looked around like a god but not at the poet, though it
looked in the direction where the poet stood.

Page No 130:

Question 6-(d):

What does the poet
want to convey by saying that the snake emerges from the 'burning
bowels of the earth'?

Answer:

By this the poet
wants to convey that there is intense heat inside the hole of the
earth as it is burning.

Page No 130:

Question 6-(c):

How does the poet
describe the day and the atmosphere when he saw the snake?

Answer:

The poet described
the day and atmosphere to be hot. It is clear through phrases used in
the poem like: ‘On a hot, hot day’, ‘in the deep,
strange scented shade…’, ‘burning bowels of the
earth’, ‘day of Sicilian July, when Etna smoking’.

Page No 130:

Question 6-(b):

In stanza 2 and 3, the poet gives a vivid description of the snake by using suggestive expressions. What picture of the snake do you form on the basis of this description?

Answer:

From the above mentioned stanzas, the picture of the snake emerges very beautiful and clear.

The snake is yellow-brown or golden-brown in colour. It weakly trails his soft belly over the edge of the stone trough. It seems tired and thirsty and drank water slowly. Just like a cattle, it raises its head and then drinks some more water. It has a two-forked tongue, which it flickered and mused while drinking.

Page No 130:

Question 6-(a):

Why does the poet
decide to stand and wait till the snake has finished drinking?

What does this tell
you about the poet?

(Notice that he uses
'someone' instead of 'something' for the snake.)

Answer:

The poet decides to
stand and wait till the snake has finished drinking because he was
second to come over there. The snake was the first comer. Unless the
snake was gone, he couldn’t go to the trough.

Page No 130:

Question 7:

The encounter with
the snake and the dual response of the poet to his presence at the
water trough reflect a conflict between civilized social education
and natural human instincts. The poet writes a diary entry
highlighting how he was torn between the two voices. Write his diary.

Answer:

Note:This
question is to be answered on the basis of your own understanding,
experience and thoughts. It is strongly recommended that you prepare
the solution on your own. However, a sample beginning of the diary
entry has been provided for your reference.

I had a terrible
incident in my life, today. I did something for which I shall regret
throughout my life. A snake visited my water trough today in the
afternoon. It was extremely hot and he had come to quench his thirst.
Knowing this, I fought against my consciousness and threw a log at
him. I know it was a very selfish and cruel thing to do and my
indecisive mind couldn’t focus well. It expected hospitality
but my mind was in a state of dilemma. I was torn between rational
thought and conscience…(to be continued)

Page No 130:

Question 8:

To what effect has
the poet used these devices? How has it added to your understanding
of the subject of the poem? You may record your understanding of
snake characteristics under the following headings:

(a) Sound

(b) Movement

(c) Shape

Answer:

By
using alliteration, sibilance and onomatopoeia, D.H.Lawrence has
succeeded in creating a kind of visual and sensory effect on us. In
line ‘And trailed his yellow- brown slackness, soft-bellied
down,’ we feel the onomatopoeia effect in ‘trailed’,
‘slackness’, and ‘soft- bellied down.’ We
almost hear both the sound and the movement of the snake. Equally in
line ‘And flickered his two- forked tongue,’ /f/ sound
(sibilance) and onomatopoeic effect in ‘flickered’ lend a
visual and sensory movement to the snake.

In the line ‘Softly
drank through his straight/ gum, into this slack long body/
Silently’, the /s/ sound conveys the snake’s feature of
the snake through sibilance. In doing so, the poet has been
successful in bringing out the image of the snake through the sound,
movement and shape. Another example of onomatopoeic word ‘slowly’
and /s/ sound indicates the use of sibilance, conveys this effect:
‘And slowly turned his head,/ And slowly, very slowly, as if
thrice a dream’.

Page No 130:

Question 9:

The poet has also
used both repetition and similes in the poem. For example-'must wait,
must stand and wait' (repetition) and 'looked at me vaguely as cattle
do' (simile). Pick out examples of both and make a list of them in
your notebooks.